Gianni Infantino and Paul Kagame met in New York City on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly. The discussion was done on a wide range of subjects, especially building on the previous exchanges they had in May 2022 during the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As per the sports news, Paul Kagame is the President of Rwanda, a region that will host the upcoming 73rd FIFA Congress after six months. Gianni Infantino, the President of FIFA, emphasized football development in East Africa.
The interaction was coordinated by the FIFA Regional Development Office located in Kigali. The office was inaugurated in February 2021 by Gianni Infantino with a commitment to developing the much-needed infrastructure for football further. Additionally, Gianni Infantino committed to developing education and competition through the same office.
Paul Kagame has been a vocal supporter of football development since then. He even used the platform to praise the initiative among the CAF Executive Committee, which is supporting the growth of African football.
Kigali will host the 73rd FIFA congress on March 16, 2023. Kigali has already hosted the meeting of the FIFA Council in October 2018.
The FIFA World Cup is around the corner, and many more meetings can be expected to happen in the coming days. While the topic will vary, the final objective will remain to take football forward and develop the required infrastructure. The next installment of the tournament will be held in Qatar.
Sixty days later, the discussions will begin surrounding the event.
Data and statistics are already up for the teams that are most favorable to win the group matches and knockouts. FIFA betting sites will update their boards with real-time analysis to ensure that participants have updated information when placing their bets.
The fruitful discussion between Gianni Infantino and Paul Kagame signals that football development will likely conclude in East Africa faster. The FIFA Regional Development office is a start. It was inaugurated in February 2021 to further boost the game’s long-term development in East Africa.
The inaugural ceremony also included Vincent Biruta, the Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation for Rwanda; Jean Damascene, the President of the Rwanda Football Association; and Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju, the Minister of Sports, among many more dignitaries.
At the time of inaugurating the office, Gianni Infantino highlighted that the key areas were infrastructure, development, competitions, and education, adding that the office was tasked with implementing the FIFA Forward program in the region.
Overall objectives stated were:-
- Support the program
- Organize competitions for both the genders
- Supervise the investment to check if it is being directed in the right space
A meeting between Gianni Infantino and Paul Kagame helps develop the infrastructure better. A conversion that builds on the previous exchanges and takes it forward is always beneficial.
